Free Fireflies From Heaven by Rebecca Julia Lauren Page A

his file out of my bag and clicked my pen.   “How have you been feeling?”
    “Good.”
    “Are you
experiencing any pain?”
    “Nothing
unbearable.”
    “On a scale of
1 to 10, how would you rate your level of pain?”
    His dark brows
drew together as he thought about it. “Two, maybe.”
    I glanced up
and locked eyes with Reed.   “Hmm. A
two,” I repeated, thinking it was probably more like a six or seven.   “Are you sure?”
    “What’s that
supposed to mean?”
    “Some patients,
particularly men, tend to underestimate pain.”
    He scoffed. “That’s
a little sexist, don’t you think?”
    At first I
thought he was kidding, but after several tense moments and he hadn’t broken a
smile, I realized I’d offended him.   “You’re right.   I should have
said ‘Some people’ not ‘Some men’, but since its true that men do that and
you’ve already told me you’re not going to call my boss and complain, I
probably shouldn’t worry about it, right?”
    “I said I
wouldn’t complain to your boss because you wouldn’t go out with me.   Sexism, well that’s something I take real
serious.”
    I looked up
from my notes and stared at Reed, whose expression was grim, and I stiffened.
“I’m sorry.   The comment was
unprofessional.”
      His lips twitched.   “Ellie, stop.   I’m only messing with you.”
      I exhaled in relief.   “Yeah, I knew that.”   I hadn’t. “Jerk,” I whispered softly,
smiling.
    “What was that
Nurse McAllister?” he prodded with a smile in his voice.
    “I said
‘hurt’.   Where does it hurt?”
    “Do you really
want me to answer that?”
      Something in his voice sent a shiver down
my spine.   I shouldn’t have done it,
but my eyes slipped below his waist and landed on the unmistakable bulge in his
sweats.   I was suddenly hot.   All over.   I pressed my legs together and shifted
in the cushiony chair, flushed and aroused.   My gaze lifted to Reed’s and I saw that
he was aware of my desire and as on fire as I was.
    My hand that
held the pen trembled, and I tried to remember what I was supposed to be asking
him, but I was at a loss.
    “You thought I
was serious,” Reed chided gently. “I’d never do anything to hurt you, Ellie.   I sure as hell wouldn’t complain about
you no matter what you said or did.”
    “That’s
reassuring.”
    “Feel free to
say or do whatever you’d like with me, I won’t complain.”
    “You’re flirting
with me.”
    Our gazes
clashed and held.
    “I won’t
apologize for it.”
    I felt edgy
enough to jump right out of my skin. “I won’t ask you to.”
    “So you’re not
going to complain about me?” His gaze heated and melted into mine. “No matter
what I say or do.”
    I was burning
up. “What are you going to do?” I asked breathlessly.
    “That’s up to
you.   You’re calling the shots,
sweetheart.”
      I stood so quickly that the file on my
lap dropped and papers scattered on the porch.
    “This is wrong,”
I muttered to myself.
    “Because of
Amber,” he said deliberately. “Ellie, has it occurred to you that you can’t
make me be with another woman?”
    “No.”
Flustered, I clasped my hot cheeks with my hand.  
    “Think about
it, Ellie. I have.   All last
night.   You think that it’s best for
Amber and me to get back together, but what if you’re wrong?”
    I sank back
down into the chair, confused. “I don’t know.”
    Reed was watching
me cautiously, as if he wanted to convince me but was unsure about how to do
it.   He reached out to touch me, but
stopped and lowered his arm.   “God,
you’re sweet and selfless, but you have to know what you’re saying doesn’t make
sense.”
    “Can you
honestly say you don’t have feelings for Amber?”
    His steady gaze
held mine. “No, I can’t.   She’s been
my friend for years. I feel something for her, but it’s not what you think.”
    “Maybe if you
gave it some time,” I suggested.
    Reed let out a
frustrated sigh